Pandora and Shazam are absolutely brilliant concepts. What I love about Pandora is the ability to create channels and the introduction to associated music I might never hear on the radio. And it’s for free. No monthly subscription and no marketing spin to make me think that paying a subscription fee is cheaper.
So with Pandora, if I find a song I really like, I can then purchase it outright. I have noticed a quality difference if I’m listening to a piece I know really well. Like any compressed digital audio format, there will be a difference; but I’d rather have a choice of owning what I want and then making sure I have the quality choice I want (CD, LP, SACD, etc.).
Same goes with Shazam. If I hear a tune on the radio, I just fire it up, have it listen and I have my running list of songs I now know who sang them and a list of songs I want to purchase. So, compare that to $15/month subscription. That’s free introduction to all the music I want and in my tastes I spend far less than a monthly subscription.
